Bank notes handling devices are well known and ubiquitous in everyday life. These devices are most often seen in automatic teller machines that can take in paper banknotes and return change, vending and gaming machines that take paper banknotes of various denominations, kinds and sizes. These devices are not only capable of accepting bank notes but also currency keeping, returning or payout (dispensing) of sum required.
Most of handy bank notes dispensing devices comprising primary internal accumulation of note bundle (a little stack of notes) with subsequent its conveyance to customer. So the note stacking mechanism is a common device for note dispensing and note storage apparatus.
Various devices are known for forming stacks of notes. For a long time it is known (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,052,053; 4,420,153; 4,660,822; 4,728,096; 4,877,230; 4,936,564; 5,163,672; 5,267,826; 5,597,996; 5,975,273; 6,123,327; 6,196,464; 6,276,678; 6,422,458; 6,540,090; 6,824,046) and is widely used in note processing and calculating machines fast-acting rotary stacker. It comprises revolving stacker drum or wheel which has around its cylindrical surface several blades secured at their inner root parts to the drum and extending tangentially in the direction opposite to the drum rotational direction to their outer ends. Notes fed to and entering respective spaces between the blades to be accumulated into a neat stack. Variety of such devices is cash dispensing apparatus (U.S. Pat. No. 6,966,485) with single-gap stacker drum. A cash dispensing unit commonly includes several cooperating endless groups of belts for feeding a stack of bank notes to an exit location. Sometimes a cash dispensing unit is a simple open-sided or open-top cash container. However this drum is large (its diameter is approximate note width) and stacks good-quality notes along their transverse direction. Therefore it is impossible to use such device to stack notes (especially “street bills”) along their longitudinal direction into compact box accumulating and dispensing devices.
The most commonly used stacking box devices (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,512,263; 4,540,081; 4,678,072; 4,809,966; 4,834,230; 4,858,744; 4,880,096; 5,195,739; 5,209,395; 5,254,841; 5,286,017; 5,322,275; 5,372,361; 5,388,817; 5,419,423; 5,421,443; 5,641,157; 5,662,202; 5,836,435; 6,244,589; 6,585,260; 6,712,352; 6,827,347) are based on transposition method and comprise various pusher plate, pistol, arms, rollers and so on with which a note may be pushed from the plane along which the note is transported to the stacking mechanism (transport plane), into a cashbox situated adjacent to the banknote plane. The pusher transposes the note into the cashbox against the action of a restoring spring and convex notes stack surface. The notes are retained in a stack in the cashbox, when the pusher is withdrawn, by flanges which abut the sides of the uppermost surface of the banknote stack.
Although this type of arrangement provides an efficient method of stacking notes, the required depth of stroke of the pusher is linked to the note width and size of the aperture through which the banknote is pushed. Thus, a short depth of stroke is only possible if the aperture is slightly smaller than note width. The cashbox aperture must be substantially smaller than narrowest note this courses the increasing of pusher depth of stroke. An increased depth of stroke results in an increased cashbox depth for any given size of notes stack and an increased power consumption because of raising of performed work P=F×s (F—averaged force, s—pusher travel). Such devices are relatively slow because of retarded forward trace under which pusher bends the note and shifts the big mass of stacked notes. In order that the flanges should retain the stack of notes, it may be important that the notes are presented for stacking in a predetermined orientation and position. As cashboxes used with such devices often incorporate a restoring spring mounted under notes stack against which a pusher must work, a further problem may arise in such devices. Namely, despite successfully pushing the note into the cashbox, the note may not completely flatten against the stack and may become crumpled causing an interference with next inserted note.
In order to decrease stroke depth and displacement of notes stack certain devices apply a movable flanges in combination with a movable pusher which each move toward the other for pushing of a note received in the guide and adding this note to a stack (U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,240) or a stationary central support (punch) and movable flanges having slots therein adapted for receiving the note inserted thereto (U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,751). The outer support surface is provided with a durable frictional material along lateral edges thereof to prevent the note from sliding or otherwise moving upon the said surface under note banding. Said devices causes strong note banding during stacking process, are relatively slow in operation and have complicated shock unstable constriction. Additionally, it is complicated to thrust “street bill” into narrow long lateral channels in the movable flanges.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,017 discloses a compact low power cassette stacker with moveable stacker bars to stacking of bills rather than fixed flanges and a pusher plate thereby achieving an appreciable saving of space and permitting greater stacking capacity for notes. However this device is complicated and can't stacks notes with various width. Additionally, convex surface of notes received in a stacker projects into a bank-note transfer passage interfering with the next processing bill.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,691 describes stacking device comprising in a main validator body a pair of bill guide drums rotatably provided along both sides of a down-stream portion of the bill transport passage, each bill guide drum has groove along the axial direction thereof for inserting thereinto side edges of the inserted bill transported though the bill transport passage so that rotation of the pair of bill guide drums in opposite directions moves the inserted bill toward the removable cashbox. Each bill guide drum further has respective inner notches to engage a bill pushing plate provided in a space between the pair of said drums to push the inserted bill toward the received note stack during one drums turn. This device has complicated drums with variable cross-section along note length and belt transport system and can't stocks notes with various width and position across passageway. As stated above, convex surface of notes received in a stacker projects into a bank-note transfer passage interfering with the next processing bill. Additionally, it is hard to separate and to lock the removable cashbox from main validator body. A lot of devices operated similarly above mentioned are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,639,081; 5,887,695; 6,217,021; 6,394,444; 6,543,763; 6,609,661; 6,641,047; 6,708,889. This devices try to avoid said disadvantages by incorporation various pressing levers, arms, rollers, shutters etc. In spite of significant device complication it is impossible as before to stock notes with various width and position across passageway. Furthermore the pressing stage decelerates the device operation and increases power consumption.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,607,189 describes stacking device wherein reception, storage and extraction of the documents are controlled by coordinated motions between a drive roller, a diverter, and special flaps. Said device is complicated, requires a bending of document stack and specified note surface frictional force. It is impossible to use said device for stacking “street bills’ and notes with various length into compact box accumulating and dispensing devices.
Some dispensing devices (U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,032,948; 6,196,457; 6,241,150; 5,247,693; 6,484,938) employing high speed note bundle formation in free space chamber using note motion inertia, additional raping wheels or belts. Said devices commonly includes cooperating endless groups of belts for feeding a stack of bank notes to an exit location. Dispensers of this type are relatively large and can't operates with “street bill” because of its jamming and banding.
It is known (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,337,864; 4,822,018; 5,735,516) notes bundle accumulating and dispensing devices of rotary or drum type. The notes bundle is accumulated and stored between outer cylindrical surface of rotating drum and driving belts system. The drum is rotated from certain initial position in one direction for storing notes as a bundle, and in a reverse direction of discharging the bundle. A special guide is biased towards the drum to lift sheets off the drum when the drum is rotated in the reverse direction. Said device is characterized by increased energy consumption at the start-stop operational mode, needs the exact speed and phase matching of inserted and accumulated notes, and is relatively slow and heavy.
With the foregoing in view, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an energy efficient simple compact device for accumulating and dispensing bank notes of various condition, length, width and position in the passageway.
It is a general object of the present invention to decrease power consumption of stacking mechanism.
It is another object of the present invention to enhance durability of note handling units.
It is still another object of the present invention to minimize note banding during stacking process.
It is a yet another object of the present invention to provide a note stacking device which can prevent a note stored in the stacker from sticking out into the note intake passageway and interfering in the processing of the note to be transported next as much as possible.
It is a further object of the present invention to minimize note sticking to stacking mechanism.
The above and other objects and advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent when the following description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.